Print shop keeps history alive

Thursday

Jan 3, 2013 at 12:01 AM

NORTHPORT | Jessica Peterson slowly fed the paper into the press. As her ink-smudged hand turned the crank, she watched as the paper wrapped around the cylinder and rolled on top of the wooden type, creating an impression on the paper.

By Kim EatonStaff Writer

NORTHPORT | Jessica Peterson slowly fed the paper into the press. As her ink-smudged hand turned the crank, she watched as the paper wrapped around the cylinder and rolled on top of the wooden type, creating an impression on the paper. Lifting up the finished product, she smiled.“There’s just something about the quality of letterpress printing,” said the 36-year-old. “Most of our written history was done using this type of technology. I’m just keeping that history alive.”Peterson opened The Southern Letterpress, a small shop situated between Anders Hardware and Faucett’s in downtown Northport, in August. The shop specializes in printing artists’ books, postcards, posters and wedding invitations, as well as labels, business cards and other commercial products. The Southern Letterpress also has a shop in St. Petersburg, Fla., a site that is run by Peterson’s business partner. “We want to focus on the Southern culture and all that comes with it,” she said. “I love that people here still live close to the land, they spend time with their family. I want to capture that in our work.”Peterson discovered a passion for book binding and book making while growing up in New York. She started college thinking she would pursue an art career once she finished, but soon realized she would not be able to make a living in visual arts. She then focused on graphic arts and began working with advertising agencies, but still continued her artistry on the side. She created digital artists’ books and worked with nonprofit organizations, but she never felt she had time to devote to her art. While introduced to letterpress printing in New York, Peterson had not had an opportunity to really work with the press until she was accepted into the University of Alabama’s book arts master’s program. “As soon as I started doing letterpress printing I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” she said. After graduation, she became a letterpress artist-in-residence with Glenn House Sr. and Kathy Fetters in Gordo, where she was able to continue learning the craft and improve her skill. For the next two years, she alternated between living in Gordo and traveling to different colleges to teach. She now teaches a digital publishing course in UA’s honors college and with the book arts program.In 2009, she found a Vandercook printing press in a New Jersey basement. “It was in 20 different pieces and I had to figure out how to put it together,” she said. “But I got a really good deal on it.”The press she purchased is great for printing artists’ books because it gives great visual definition to the type and artwork, but it is not the best press for doing commercial work where multiple copies are needed.“It takes so much energy to turn the crank,” Peterson said. “My right arm muscle is actually bigger than my left. I had to start playing golf so I could balance it out some.”While the beauty and texture of letterpress printing appeals to many customers, it is often an unforgiving medium. Once a type style and size has been positioned, Peterson can not hit a button to make it larger or smaller. She is stuck with what she has, unless she wants to start over. There is also no spell check, and that has created problems on more than one occasion, she said.The biggest challenge in offering letterpress printing as a service to people is the cost, which is based on the time it takes to print. For a simple printing job, like a business card or invitation, Peterson said it takes about an hour to set the type and do the prep work and another hour to print about 100 copies, only using one color. If two colors are needed, then she has to repeat the process. Many customers stick with one color, but they have more paper options to choose from, she added.Despite the challenges, Peterson could not imagine doing anything else.“My main interest in this is the type,” she said. “A lot of the type I have I’ve gotten from older printers who said they were too old to see the type. They gave it to me with the understanding that I would pass it on when I got older.”Her real love still revolves around printing books on handmade paper. In addition to making the paper, she writes the copy, sets the type, creates the design and makes the binding. The books typically are priced higher because they take much longer to create, but it is completely self-published.“I like that I have complete control. I can highlight stories that I like that haven’t gotten much attention,” she said. “It’s my art form. Instead of one canvas, it’s a million pages with a story that builds over time. It’s an art piece in book form.”